The Illustrated «Turgay Newspaper»: Stories of the History of the Qazaq Steppe (Late 19th–Early 20th Century)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the stories about the history of the Qazaq Steppe, reflected on the pages of the illustrative «Turgay Newspaper» (1895–1909). It was published as an unofficial part of the «Turgay Regional Gazette» in the city of Orenburg, the administrative center of the Turgayregion. Its uniqueness consisted in the illustrations to the articles, photo reports from the Qazaq volosts and auls, artistic drawings reflecting various aspects of life of the Qazaqs of the Turgay region. It was the only illustrated newspaper in the Steppe General Governorate. The publication of such a newspaper was an important step in the formation of visual images of the Steppe, especially since the middle of the 19^th century when illustrations and photographs became a state program of the imperial authorities. The illustrated newspaper had to show the imperial prestige of «rational management», reflecting the changes in the social and cultural life of the Qazaqs, and their inclusion in the historical events of the Empire. The «Turgay Newspaper» became a link in spreading knowledge about a different, unknown culture for the rest of the Empire. The newspaper became one of the tools of the regional colonial administration to implement the ideas of the Russian civilizing mission in the Qazaq steppe, and the diversity of the Empire. The materials of the «Turgay Newspaper» are practically not studied in the domestic historiography. The author tried to consider the illustrative material published in the «Turgay Newspaper» through the development of school education in the Turgay region and the introduction of the Qazaq nomadic elite into the imperial space through the visit of Qazaq deputies to St. Petersburg and the reception of the royalty, ministers, military governors in the Qazaq Steppe, the establishment of new values. The article is based on the materials of periodicals, archival documents extracted from the funds of the Central State Archive of the Republic of Qazaqstan.